Mutual invites users to ditch cliches with ‘Dinner Invitation Challenge’ this February
The dating app Mutual, primarily used by single members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, invited singles to embark on a journey throughout the entire month of February with a Dinner Invitation Challenge.
The dating app Mutual, primarily used by single members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, invited singles to embark on a journey throughout the entire month of February with a Dinner Invitation Challenge.
According to Mutual’s blog post, everyone needs to eat and everyone needs the companionship of other people. The challenge is an opportunity to forget the intensity of Valentine’s Day and focus on making authentic connections throughout the whole month of February, the blog post said.
“I recognize that the 14th gets its unfair share of attention. I just wanted to point out that there are 28 other days in the month without the pressure of Valentine’s Day,” Bob Carroll, Mutual co-founder, said.
A simple dinner conversation led to the Carroll’s 36th date-iversary this month, according to the blog post. Asking someone to dinner is a great tradition and skill, so the Mutual team encourages users to take action and simply ask someone to dinner, Carroll said.
Kaleigh Adamson, Mutual marketing coordinator, said the goal of the challenge is to get people out there.
“There’s a lot of pressure that comes with a date, both external pressure and self-inflicted pressure,” Adamson said.
The invitation challenge isn’t your typical date challenge, according to the blog post. It’s an opportunity to relieve dating pressure by asking a simple, seven-word question: “Would you like to have dinner together?”
When people direct their attention solely to meeting and understanding others, they inevitably discover a lot about themselves too, Adamson said.
Carroll’s biggest hope is for the simple question to become a universal go-to phrase for every “single” individual, he said. This invitation doesn’t create pressure or unnecessary expectations, according to Carroll.
“It is perfect to be used with someone you have known for a long time or even someone you have just met,” Carroll said.
Carroll added the challenge is different because they are asking people to use the app to find someone to invite to dinner, but then “ditch the app, put away the phone and pick up a fork and knife.”
Chris Lofing, who found his wife on Mutual after leaving his young single adult ward and essentially giving up on dating at age 33, acknowledged the discouragement online dating can cause.
“Don’t give up, be patient,” Lofing said. “I’m a fan of Mutual for their part in helping me find my eternal companion.”
The blog post invited those looking for dinner ideas to explore the Tonite app — a platform packed with dining ideas, activities and entertainment deals.